The Tech Equestrian

Welcome to the new normal. Technology is everywhere and effects everyone and everything. To keep up with the changes and information that impacts the equestrian world, I hope you will enjoy the stories, profiles and insights this blog features. In addition, stay connected on social by joining the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages!

September is all about getting back to school, college or at work focusing on projects to finish the year successful, so we thought why not ask our experts their top tips/recommendations they would give an equestrian who is looking to adopt horse tech into their routine? Yes, doing your homework, signing up for free product demos or trials, reading reviews, etc. were some of the answers they provided. Learning is one of our mottos at The Tech Equestrian - a great foundation for any type of organization: #neverstoplearning.

Find out more in this month’s TTE Advisory Board post.

Middleburg, Virginia: Tori Sullivan grew up riding out west in Reno, Nevada – land of cowboys, slot machines and mountain vistas. The expansive countryside lent itself to breeding horses, coyote hunting and all types of western riding events recalled Tori. But soon her English grandmother instilled in her the need to ride a different way, “you will ride English,” she proclaimed. Along with that order and a reality boost from her parents saying, you really need a job, Tori packed up her things and moved East to start her first “real” job.

We hope you are enjoying one of my favorite months: June – a hybrid month – half spring and half summer filled with long sunny days (hopefully) and lower humidity (in the Northeast, at least) and also a perfect month to get to know The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board members. We asked them a range of questions so you cannot only respect their new products/services/apps but appreciate some of their likes and admirations. I know I can relate to many of their answers. Enjoy and happy riding!

Being a high school student and a young successful Grand Prix rider is demanding but you would never know it from speaking with 18-year-old Carolina Villanueva Suarez who was first placed in the saddle at the age of 3. The Tech Equestrian had the pleasure of interviewing her at the recent Longines Masters of New Yorkin late April to find out more about her exciting new app.

When Betty and John Messina wanted to do something special to celebrate their wedding anniversary they didn’t step onto a plane to go to a vacation destination or take a seat at the table of an expensive restaurant, instead they decided to sit in the saddle and take a horseback riding lesson. However, what they thought would be an easy, seamless experience of finding a nearby stable in Westchester County, New York turned into a two-month long process of emailing and phoning stables with sometimes no replies to their outreach. “The whole experience was very discouraging,” recalled Betty. They finally found the right stable, took their lesson and when they finished the lesson, they took out their credit card. “There was an awkward moment when the instructor asked if we could pay by check,” Betty said in dismay. In the age of subscription services and a multitude of ways to pay for goods and services digitally there had to be a better way. “It soon dawned on us, with our combined knowledge and technology backgrounds, we could solve this problem.”

One of the beautiful aspects of horses is that they are our partners – whether you are riding competitively or caring and managing them for pleasure. So it seems a natural fit to have partnerships and collaborations when it comes to horse tech providers expanding their offerings. Let’s hear from The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board on how they feel about collaborations and what they are already doing or plan to do when it comes to partnerships.

After having The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board provide feedback on how they use customer data and their thoughts on the future of data in the April blog post, we thought it would be important to also have a legal perspective. Luckily I met Madison Wiles-Haffner, a lawyer at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP and fellow equestrian at this year’s Equestrian Businesswomen Summit (EQBW Summit) in West Palm Beach and discussed story ideas.

At The Tech Equestrian we know how important data is to any size business looking to advance their business with the aid of technology. Many of today’s tech enabled businesses are building a one-to-one relationship with their customers by customizing their offerings and experiences. And guess what? It’s getting easier for them to tailor their products & services because the digital footprint you leave every day is expansive and immediately brings to mind the sensitive topic of data privacy.

Let’s ask The Tech Equestrian Advisory Board their thoughts on the best way for tech savvy companies to value and respect their customer’s data and maximize it to expand their offerings – and you be the judge – do you think there is a data dilemma brewing or is it moving business solutions in the right direction?

When Alan Wielunski stepped into the wonderful world of horses it was his young sons who got him hooked. “My connection with horses started 20 years ago when both my sons started riding,” recalled Alan. At first it was a hobby and passion for them but then gradually the whole family became obsessed. This obsession led to a successful sport horse business they own in the south of Holland called EMW Sport Horses.

BARCELONA, SPAIN: Innovation in the horse world takes on many forms and one that caught our attention is a new brand called FITTEST HORSE. To truly be innovative the goal of a product/service is to improve a process or an outcome; to enhance performance; save time/money and enhance the health or physical well-being of an equine and this product named FITTEST SUIT checks those boxes. The product itself is a stylish compression suit that provides equine athletes with various health and performance benefits.